Jan. 8 | Spiritual practice starts
by stopping the unskilful,
before starting the skilful,
and perfecting it.
– Shilashanti
A famous bandit, a murderer named Angulimala, had been sighted in the neighbourhood… Against all advice, the Buddha set out for...

Dec. 26 |
Whenever I see beings who are wicked in nature, and overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering, I shall hold such rare ones dear, as if I had found a precious treasure.
– Geshe Langri Tangpa
Reflections On ‘The Eight Verses Of Thought...

Nov. 27 |
The very shortsighted
must learn to see
much further.
– Shilashanti
The Kukkuravatika Sutta records how Puṇṇa (of the Koliyans), an ox-duty ascetic, and Seniya the naked dog-duty ascetic learnt the error of their ways through the Buddha. Prior...

Nov. 27 |
People are first haunted by their inner demons, before they become ghosts haunting haunted places, who might in turn become others’ outer demons. Haunted by unresolved and deluded attachment and aversion, both in this life and from life to...

Nov. 8 |
There are four kinds of [karmic] actions
proclaimed by me,
after realising them for myself
with direct knowledge.
– Śākyamuni Buddha
(Kukkuravatika Sutta)
(As paraphrased and extended from the second half of the Kukkuravatika Sutta)
[1] There are dark...

Oct. 25 |
Like a pure mirror,
experience the pleasant
only clearly as they are,
without any attachment.
– Shilashanti
In the Chappana Sutta, the Buddha gave two analogies… First, suppose a person caught six animals, whom he ties together with a rope, with...

Oct. 11 | To experience things as they are,
as clearly as you can,
do so with as little attachment,
aversion and delusion as you can.
– Shilashanti
And how does a noble disciple guard the sense doors?
When a noble disciple sees a sight with the eyes, they don’t...

Oct. 11 |
‘The Darkness’ is based on a ‘myth’ that Anasazi Indians bound demons to rocks hidden in underground caves. If removed, they will take the shape of a crow, snake, coyote, wolf and buffalo, before tricking and dragging children...

Oct. 4 |
‘Se7en’ can be seen as a contemporary fable on the dangers of the Seven Deadly Sins, which according to Christian teachings, are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. (They are contrary, respectively, to the Seven Cardinal...